Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 1177

1177. Aftermath (5)

After hearing the Minister of National Defense’s response, Woo ordered that a positive stance be taken in negotiations with England.

“…Of course, don’t forget to properly secure what we need.”

“I will engrave it in my heart.”

The meeting concluded with the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ response to Woo’s instruction.

Instead of heading out of Geunjeongjeon [the main hall of Gyeongbok Palace, used for important state functions], the officials leaving the meeting looked at the Minister of National Defense with surprised expressions.

“Why are you all looking like that? Is there something on my face?”

“It’s not that… It’s just that you’re not your usual self today.”

“What do you mean?”

“Aren’t you usually the first one to step up and shout that it shouldn’t be sold?”

At the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ remark, the Minister of National Defense chuckled and replied.

“Depending on the circumstances, one can either agree or disagree, can’t they?”

“Hmm…”

“I’ll be going now.”

Watching the Minister of National Defense walk away, the other officials all had the same thought.

‘Something’s fishy.’

Only one person, the Minister of Finance and Economy, looked at the Minister of National Defense’s departing figure with a different expression.

‘He must be feeling terrible inside right now.’

* * *

As the ‘Punitive War’ concluded, a post-war analysis was conducted.

The greatest concerns of the Ministry of National Defense and the high-ranking officers of the Imperial Army were the field evaluations of the various new weapons deployed in this war.

The conclusion drawn from analyzing the field evaluations was:

-This is good, that is good, everything is good!

-We want to order more of everything!

As soon as this conclusion was reached, someone from the Ministry of Finance and Economy rushed over.

-Are you even making sense? You’re not the only ones using the nation’s money!

-What about installments or credit…?

-I said, are you even making sense!

In the end,

The first, the best-evaluated, and the one that received the most improvement tasks was the airship.

-If there are no weather restrictions, it is the most useful weapon.

-It is very impressive that it can inflict strong blows on the enemy, regardless of land or sea.

-Since other countries have already deployed airships, we must develop airships with even better performance.

So far, so good, but a debate broke out over the direction of development.

-To compete with other countries’ airships, we must focus on powerful firepower and agile maneuverability!

-What nonsense! The Imperial Army has applied the same standard every time it develops weapons with power engines! That is powerful firepower and output!

-An airship is not a battering ram!

-Airships and battering rams are the same!

-A powerful engine requires a larger size! That means fewer can be loaded onto an airship carrier! Then its military value decreases!

-Why not build more airship carriers or larger airship carriers!

-Are you going to deal with the Ministry of Finance and Economy!

As the debate between the two sides began to overheat, Hyang intervened.

-In my opinion, strong output is necessary to mount strong firepower, and protective equipment to protect the pilot can also be substantial.

-Therefore, it is right to go in the direction of maximizing output while meeting the requirements.

-In particular, looking at the airship battle in Gibraltar, we should not overlook that the Kestrel also achieved good results, but the Albatross received even better evaluations.

-Based on this, I advise that you consider it carefully.

Although she said it was advice, it determined the development direction of the airship.

Hyang smiled and muttered when she heard that the development direction of the airship was decided according to her advice.

“I like the Corsair more than the Zero. That’s also the case with the evaluation in actual combat. After all, weapons should be macho rather than delicate.”

* * *

There was a debate about airships, but there was also a weapon that passed surprisingly smoothly.

It was the destroyer.

“It has sufficient performance to replace the Haeung. In particular, I like the longer operational period than the Haeung.”

“I agree. But, the firepower is a bit lacking…”

“Not only the firepower of the main gun, but I also wish we had more anti-aircraft weapons. Since they saw us using airships, they will all be flying airships.”

“I agree.”

In this way, the destroyer was decided to be modified with a slightly more powerful main gun and an increase in anti-aircraft artillery, and it was approved.

And the Ministry of Finance and Economy did not object to this.

The same was true of cruisers.

This was thanks to its sufficient firepower to replace the Challenger-class battleships and its far superior cruising range and operational period compared to the Challenger-class battleships.

But the next thing was the problem.

* * *

Following the airship, the fire support ship was on the chopping block of controversy.

“The firepower is very satisfying, but there are too few places to use it. Amphibious landing.”

“Honestly, there’s almost no use for it other than amphibious landings.”

“I’m sorry to the situation, but this is in the direction of folding [canceling the project entirely]…”

“No way!”

At that time, there was a group that strongly opposed it.

It was the Imperial Army adjacent to the Ming Dynasty and the Imperial Navy fleet in charge of the inland sea and the South Sea Strait.

-The Yellow Sea, the Southwest Straits, and the South Sea Strait, which face the Ming Dynasty, and the South Sea Strait, which faces Japan, are narrow spaces where large fleets cannot move.

-Therefore, we need a battleship that can pour out powerful firepower at once.

-And for this, the fire support ship is the best answer.

-The Army also agrees.

The high-ranking officials, judging that the rebuttal was reasonable, entered a re-examination, and the fire support ship was decided to build an appropriate number of additional ships.

This was just a taste.

Soon, not only did the Imperial Navy split into two and fight, but a super-large controversy began in which the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Finance and Economy also participated.

The subjects that created the controversy were the airship carrier and the battleship.

In the aerial battle of Gibraltar and the Punitive War, the airship carrier left a very strong impression.

The same was true of battleships.

The sight of destroying enemy battleships and fortresses that had become targets while calmly accepting enemy attacks was fitting for the name ‘fighting ship.’

Therefore, the high-ranking officers of the Imperial Navy hoped for additional construction of these two ship types, and a large amount of additional construction.

However, no matter how much the Imperial Army was, there were limits to the budget.

In fact, the Ministry of Finance and Economy shook their heads, regardless of their position, after hearing the story.

“Both battleships and airship carriers cost a lot of money to build and maintain. Even now, the cost of the Imperial Army in the Imperial budget is not small, but this is impossible.”

“The battleship construction has already been decided to build only the existing number of ships. Additional construction is absolutely impossible!”

In response to the Ministry of Finance and Economy’s negative reaction, the Ministry of National Defense and the Imperial Army also raised objections.

“We admit that we spend a lot of money! But we are also spending as little as possible!”

“Other countries have already seen battleships and airship carriers! They will definitely try to build them! Qualitative superiority has its limits! We must overwhelm them with quantity as well!”

The Imperial Army and the Ministry of National Defense’s protests were reasonable, and the Ministry of Finance and Economy’s protests were also reasonable.

At this time, the budget used by the Imperial Army was about 22% of the total Imperial budget.

However, as the development of new airships, fire support ships, and mass construction of destroyers and cruisers were already decided, the budget ratio rose to 24%.

If additional construction of airship carriers and battleships proceeded as the Imperial Navy wished, it was clear that this ratio would exceed 30%.

Moreover, it would not end in 1-2 years, but would continue for at least 10 years.

“In that case, the Empire’s finances will be ruined!”

In the end, the decision fell to Woo, the Emperor.

“Hoo〜.”

‘Both sides have reasonable arguments, so it’s a difficult problem.’

It was difficult to take sides because both opinions were correct.

‘Should I go to Suganggung [a detached palace often used for seeking advice] and ask for help?’

Woo, who was thinking of Hyang and Wan, soon shook his head.

‘No! The decision is mine! If I make a mistake, it will become a habit and the imperial power may be shaken! I have to decide!’

After agonizing over it for several days and nights, Woo finally came up with a compromise that was not a compromise.

“I think both the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Finance and Economy have reasonable opinions. It is important to strengthen the country’s defense, but it is also important not to put an excessive burden on the people. Therefore, I will order the Ministry of National Defense. It is certain that both battleships and airship carriers are valuable military forces, but we cannot choose both. However, it is difficult to abandon either of them. Therefore, decide which one to prioritize and report it to me. Do you understand?”

“…I obey your order.”

“Minister of Finance and Economy, do you think this is reasonable?”

“I also follow His Majesty’s decision.”

According to Woo’s decision, the Imperial Navy was split in two over which to prioritize between battleships and airship carriers, and a fight broke out.

-Considering the versatility of airships, airship carriers will be the center of the Imperial Navy in the future!

-The firepower of battleships is superior to airships!

-Even that battleship sinks with the self-propelled explosive bombs that airships drop!

-One or two self-propelled explosive bombs won’t even scratch it! But what about airship carriers! One shot from a battleship’s main gun and it’s straight to the Dragon Palace [a mythical underwater palace, implying destruction]!

-That’s why they go around with destroyers!

-Does the battleship go around alone?

As the atmosphere on both sides became excessively fierce, the upper echelons of the Imperial Army and the Ministry of National Defense asked Hyang for help.

“Hmm…”

Hyang, who listened to the grievances of the Imperial Army and Ministry of National Defense officials, was lost in thought.

‘In my past life, battleships became extinct, and aircraft carriers survived. But the argument to revive battleships continued. No, it became even more active after the end of the Cold War, right?’

Hyang, rummaging through her memories of her past life, recalled a small memory about this.

It was a question and answer she had thrown at the homepage of someone famous as a ‘high-level player’ of Korean military enthusiasts at the time.

-Was the reason battleships became extinct really because of aircraft?

-I think the biggest reason is nuclear weapons.

‘In a way, that might be the most correct answer. Considering the armor of battleships.’

During the Cold War, the armor of battleships became useless as the United States and the Soviet Union, as well as everyone else, completed nuclear weapons.

And this cut off the already precarious lifeline of battleships.

On the other hand, aircraft carriers, which have excellent tools in both offensive and defensive aspects called carrier-based aircraft, shined even more.

However, as the Cold War ended and local wars, not large-scale all-out wars, broke out, the number of people calling for the revival of battleships increased.

-Contrary to World War II, maintaining regular aircraft carriers requires enormous maintenance costs. The maintenance cost of battleships is relatively low.

-Powerful firepower that can fire a 1-ton shell nearly 40km.

There are cruise missiles for longer distances than that.

-Armor that doesn’t even eat the teeth of ordinary anti-ship missiles.

“Battleships are cheaper!”

This was the argument of those who wanted to revive battleships at the time.

However, this ended as an argument.

There were too many lost technologies, starting with the manufacturing technology of battleship main gun barrels. No, if necessary, they could have been revived, but the cost of doing so was too high.

‘If I think about it this way and that, battleships are still needed. And you know…’

Hyang smiled strangely.

‘Battleships are romance!’

But Hyang soon shook her head slightly.

‘The problem is that romance is romance and reality is reality. And the current reality is that both battleships and airship carriers are needed.’

“Hmm…”

Hyang, who continued to worry and worry, finally found her own answer.

“How about changing the fleet formation system?”

“Yes?”